Jawbone UP3 v Fitbit Charge HR

Jawbone versus Fitbit has been the big battle of the fitness tracker genre since 2011 when the original UP and the Fitbit Ultra both went on sale.

The rivalry continue with the Fitbit Charge HR and the Jawbone UP3 going head-to-head for your wrist-space. This might not be Fitbit's newest tracker, but it's still one of the most popular. While the UP3 remains Jawbone's top of the line wearable - and we're not likely to see another.

But is the UP3 or the Charge HR right for you? Read on for a comparison of the rivals' features, and make sure you check out our in-depth reviews for the nitty-gritty.

Fitbit Charge HR v Jawbone UP3: Design

The Fitbit Charge HR looks a lot like its non HR labelled brethren - the Fitbit Charge. It is made from a flexible, durable elastomer and features a surgical-grade stainless steel buckle. There are three different sizes available with wrists from 5.5 inches up to 9.1 inches catered for. The Charge HR is 34mm wide, so is a fair bit meatier than the 12.2mm thickness of the UP3.

With Fitbit's tracker you have a choice of black, plumb, blue and tangerine and, like the discontinued Fitbit Force, it has a small OLED display to show the time, stats and incoming caller IDs. There are no other smartphone notifications – you'll need to upgrade to the Fitbit Surge to get those – but it certainly beats its Jawbone rival in this area.

Overall, in our Fitbit Charge HR review we enjoyed wearing the fitness band - it's discreet, unisex, comfortable even when sleeping and the only potential problem is skin irritation - some users suffer from it, some don't.

The UP3 only comes in one size but there's an adjustable clasp so in theory should fit any wrist size. It's quite awkward to hitch, however, and we prefer Fitbit's more secure buckle. The UP3 originally hit the shops in two designs – black diamond and silver cross, although new colours and patterns are now available including red, teal, sand (sort of a rose gold) and indigo.

There's no OLED display here but there is a trio of lights to indicate sleep, activity and notifications. Blue lights are used in sleep mode, orange is for activity, and white lights tell you about notifications. You can tap on those lights to switch between sleep and activity tracking modes, but it's fiddly and thankfully Jawbone's most recent software updates mean you don't have to play around with it at all.

It's Jawbone's thinnest and lightest tracker so far which really makes a difference and we didn't experience any irritation issues. Design and fit is a really personal choice - both of these trackers are comfortable and will look good with a range of outfits - from gym clothes to office wear. Both are also splashproof, not waterproof. You can wear the UP3 in the shower though. The UP3 wins for looks, but if security is your main concern here, Fitbit wins this round.

Fitbit Charge HR v Jawbone UP3: Heart monitoring

The Charge HR has 24/7 heart-rate monitoring on offer, using the company's new PurePulse technology. It's the same sensor you'll find packed into the Fitbit Surge 'super watch' and the Fitbit Blaze.

Fitbit states that the constant bpm recording results in a more accurate calorie burn figure and that it allows users to train in different intensity zones using their heart rate peaks. Take a look at our guide to heart rate training to find out more.

We tested the Fitbit's heart rate monitoring versus a gym machine for our review and found it to be spot on, but on the road during runs the jiggling and bouncing hurt the accuracy substantially. We also found resting heart rate data to be wide of the mark.

The Jawbone UP3 is built on an advanced multi-sensor platform that includes a newly designed tri-axis accelerometer, bioimpedance sensors, as well as skin and ambient temperature sensors.

The new band uses this sensor setup to provide wearers a resting heart rate, which is a crucial indicator of your overall heart health and the company is touting its new device as "the most advanced activity tracker known to man".

Originally, the UP3 could only track resting heart rate, but in the latest update you can take readings at any time and the band will also track your heart rate across the day – so you can see your vital signs in more detail. We also felt heart rate readings were a little lower than we've seen on other bands.

Neither the Fitbit or Jawbone offers a perfect heart rate tracking system but both capture they key metric of resting heart rate – so we'll call this one a tie.

Fitbit Charge HR v Jawbone UP3: Tracking

Both of these bands will track your everyday activities such as steps taken, distance travelled, calories burned, floors climbed and active minutes.

Neither the Jawbone nor the Fitbit pack GPS tracking like the Garmin Vivosmart HR+ or the Fitbit Surge, which is a real shame for runners. You can pair the Charge HR with your smartphone to piggy back of the handset's GPS signal.

The Charge HR's OLED display will give you your stats in real-time using the Exercise Mode and the Fitbit app lets you see progress, record workouts, share and compete with your friends, log your food intake and earn badges based on your activity.

Generally your step count will probably be slightly higher on the Fitbit than the Jawbone but both are at least consistent which is useful for setting and sticking to goals.

The Jawbone UP3 nudges you when you've been idle too long and has automatic sport detection skills much like the Charge HR now offers through its

The new UP3 app ties in the new Smart Coach system – a real-time information system that analyses the data that the UP3 band records about you to provide personal advice on your goals and objectives. The more you use your UP3, the better the Smart Coach will understand you. Give it time and it will begin to deliver the useful insights.

There's also automatic sleep monitoring on offer with both trackers and both offer alarms to give you a nudge in the morning.

Fitbit tracks how many hours sleep you get - it's very simple. A new Sleep Schedule mode now looks at your sleep data and suggests what time you should go to bed. It's not a revolutionary update, but it's a step in the right direction.

Things are a little different on the Jawbone UP3 which tries to do a whole lot more but ends up in a bit of a jam.

Not only does the UP3 claim to differentiate between REM, light and deep sleep, the Jawbone app should also provide information and analysis on your kip to help you improve it. While our original review found serious shortcomings, the update to the Jawbone UP3 has improved sleep accuracy and it's now one of the best wrist-based sleep trackers we've used.

The original UP3 also required users to manually activate its sleep tracking mode, but the updated band introduced automatic sleep detection – a much need addition. There's also a smart alarm function which gives you a 30 minute window to wake up during lighter sleep.

With the added features, the Jawbone UP3 is a top sleep tracker, with accurate results and plenty of detail – and certainly wins out here.

Fitbit Charge HR v Jawbone UP3: Price

You can grab a Fitbit Charge HR for $149.99. The battery life of five days is manageable and it's easy to charge via the proprietary cable - just don't lose it.

The Jawbone UP3 is the slightly more expensive device at $179.99 across the pond. The battery life is up to seven days, which we found to be fair, but the short charging cable is badly designed and awkward to use with a laptop.

Fitbit Charge HR v Jawbone UP3: Verdict

Both flagship trackers claim to be two of the most comprehensive fitness trackers out there. What is clear is that both the Charge HR and UP3 are in many ways vastly superior to their predecessors.

It's also apparent that both Fitbit and Jawbone want their existing device users to upgrade to the new models with the updated apps offering a wealth of extra info and features while at the same time staying loyal to the current communities.

Our updated reviews now put the Jawbone UP3 a whisker ahead with 7/10 to the Fitbit Charge HR's 6/10. Before Jawbone's update the Charge HR was a clear winner, but now sleep tracking and heart rate data has been fixed, it's capitalised on the Fitbit's worrying heart rate accuracy.

We love the Yves Behar design of the Jawbone and the way it will recognise bursts of activity throughout your day, while the Fitbit benefits from better analysis of heart rate data and a live display of your bpm on the wrist, Jawbone's data proved to be more reliable in our testing.

Let us know if you're using an UP3 or a Charge HR using the comments below.

136 Comments

20-Nov-2014 5:53 pm

Fininity says:

I'm really looking forward to the smaller up3, it looks great, comfortable, and the sleep tracking is amazing on the 24, so I can't wait to see how it is on the 3. The hr tracking is amazing as well. I don't need to see it in real time, it may even stress me out.

I've read lots of mixed reviews about the HR and they say that the heart rate aspect is not accurate, that it is very slow while you're working out and seems to try and play catch up once your high activity has stopped, which, kind of defeats the purpose of knowing your heart rate if you can't trust what you're seeing.

A proper heart rate monitor. These are just averages and rough estimates. It's on your wrist for crying out loud! It can never be super accurate. If current, more precise heart rate is what you need, none of these fitness bands can give you that. You need a separate, specific heart rate monitor.

Everybody wants one of these for differnt reasons but my main reason is for sleep management. Jawbone has the clear advantage as soon as the enable the automatic sleep detection. For all of the people wanting it for real-time monitoring to make sure they are working out hard enough, that's pathetic in my opinion. Just dont be lazy; workout hard! You get everything you put into your workout back. Why would you just want to do the minimum? If you do, thats all you can really expect, and you dont have to waste money for that! NOW, for fitness tracking/trending and motivation, these bands can be very benificial! Everybody starts slacking off once and a while and needs reminders.

That's ridiculous. Do you know that you can workout too hard?? having real time heart rate monitoring is the perfect method of keeping in the proper heart rate zone to do what you need to.

For example if your goal is to lose weight you would want to keep your heart rate in a fat burning zone. Having it too high can actually detract from your weightloss goals. Seeing this in real time can Help you adjust your workout to be most beneficial for YOU.

But yes motivation and fitness progress monitoring is another awesome reason to get one of these. Both look like awesome products, however I will definitely go for the option to monitor my heart during my workout.

In theory what you say is correct when referring to heart rate for fat burning, but your statement of working out too hard at a higher heart rate can be detrimental to weight loss is completely incorrect. The fact of the matter is the harder you workout and the longer you go still burns more calories thus giving you better results period. As a % you can optimize fat burning in a certain heart rate zone, but as I stated, the longer you go and the harder you go will still result in greater gains. To maximize fat burning, you have to be in your target heart rate zone for 30 minutes. There is also an exponential effect that kicks in after 30 minutes, so for every minute you workout in your target heart rate zone beyond 30 minutes the benefits are exponentially higher and also kick starts your metabolism to burn calories for hours after you are done with your workout. So, as an example, it is better to do 60 minutes of cardio in your target heart rate zone than it would be to do 30 minutes twice in a day. Another key ingredient in maximizing target heart rate training is to first figure out what your resting heart rate is and your overall fitness level because this can drastically change the determination of someone's target heart rate zone. The basic (220-age) x's (70-85%) is the most basic determination of target heart rate zone and is pretty safe for someone who doesn't work out and wants to start to exercise. For someone with a very low resting heart rate who is in very good shape, the basic formula for figuring out target heart rate zones as I listed above, could be off by as much as 20 beats. Most articles written are targeted towards encouraging people to start some form of workout and in these cases moderate exercise is awesome and simply walking will achieve the 70% of someone's maximum heart, which is optimum "fat burning" zone. The ultimate motivation of the articles written about maximizing fat burning with moderate exercise is to encourage sedentary people to start moving and they don't have to run a marathon to see real results.

But, I feel it's important to correct the person who stated you won't see results if you workout too hard and your heart rate is too high. It's also important to reiterate, the better shape you are in, the harder you have to workout to achieve your target heart zone. Lastly, if the main motivation for wearing one of the fitness tracking bands is tracking heart rate and heart rate training, you would be much better off purchasing a heart rate monitor watch and you would save yourself a significant amount of money.

When choosing a band always take into account the after sales service. I sent my band back under warranty now I find they are out of stock. I will be without my band for over 2 months. seems a little useless having a band.

People have limits for their exercise as well, I have a carotid dissection and can't get my HR above a certain BPM it's not laziness. There are a million reasons people care about their HR that go beyond laziness.

You said, " For all of the people wanting it for real-time monitoring to make sure they are working out hard enough, that's pathetic in my opinion. Just dont be lazy; workout hard! You get everything you put into your workout back. Why would you just want to do the minimum? If you do, thats all you can really expect,"

I'm sorry and I don't mean this to be insulting, but you you are speaking out of complete ignorance. When someone is trying to monitor their HR they are not trying to "make sure they are working out hard enough". There are many reasons you would want to train in one of the 5 different HR zones. Depending on which sport you are training for you may need to optimize your body to deliver/transport energy stores from different sources OR you may need to do a "Recovery ride" as a cyclist, which requires a zone 1-2 effort..no more. OR..you may be training for "Base" as a cyclist/runner which increases endurance and restructures the muscles and must be performed for long duration in HR zone 2 OR you may be optimizing you body to process lactic acid and remove it from your muscles quickly this requires repeated efforts in zone 4-5 for specific a durations of time.....I could go on, but I hope you get the point.

Don't be mislead by comments like this persons....there are many, many reasons to monitor your HR. Just educate yourself and you will run circles around guys/gals like the one who made the uninformed comments above....really.

agreed , plus on my 24 the cap likes to pop off, I'm looking forward to the buckle. Only thing is the manual sleep mode. I didn't exit my power nap properly, so it had me listed as in a light sleep for the next 8 hours, 4 of which I was putting tires on cars,. Wish it had the automatic slumber mode

I have been using the Up3 for a week now as I wanted to start to get fitter and I love it! I use it with my Samsung Galaxy Ace 4 and the app is, I think very good. What I like the most is the sleep tracker as I have been having some sleep trouble over the last few months, and I have to say it is excellent to see when I'm dreaming, lightly sleeping, in a deep sleep and when I wake up during the night. The coach has been suggesting a time to get to sleep by and over the last week my sleep has been getting better.

The step counter is fantastic and even better is the apps you can connect Up app to like Runtastic, My Health Planner etc. They all work great together when going for a walk or run.

This is the first band I have used so I can't compare it to others but I do recommend the Up3 as it makes you want to do more walking, running etc. The Up apps can log the food you eat, workouts, sleep, heart rate and moods.

I'm tempted by the Jawbone up3 because of it's sleek form factor and ability to be passed off as a small accessory rather than a watch replacement. Sadly, I wish that Jawbones proposed features of constant heart rate monitoring and stress level analysis were available upon launch as well as android support of the new piece. Because of this, for most android users, the idea of release date is irrelevant and gives the Charge HR a slight edge due to it's already determined features as well as immediate support of the current app upon launch.

I Look forward to reviews on JawBone's up3 when it is finally released (hopefully soon), but am pleasantly surprised to find that both can be worn in the shower. Eliminating the fear of rolling out of bed and ruining yet another piece of tech from simply doing my daily routine.

tldr: Jawbone has potential and leaves room on the wrist, but fitbit will be immediately supported and have set features.

I was an UP fan for a couple of years, but recently gave up after my third band stopped working (it was a replacement for the first two that stopped working). My absolute favorite feature of the UP was its sleep/wake and power nap functions. I have been wearing the Fitbit Charge for a few weeks now, and although I like it, its sleep function doesn't compare. So will I buy the new UP3? I want to, but my pride might not be able to take paying that much for a band after three failures in the earlier models.

You should check out the LifeTrak BRITE r450. I have this device and it has a nice sleep tracking. The device knows when you're in a deeper sleep and wakes you up at your optimum time. Plus, the device has a nice display

I really want the Fitbit Charge HR! Currently have the Flex and Polar HRM. I would really like to not have to wear 2 devices on my arms (watch or HRM and Flex) as well as a chest band when working out. The price is the same as what I paid for the Polar HRM I have now!

I had the same wish when I got my CHR, but was sadly disappointed. If you do any excersise other than running, you won't get an accurate read from the Fitbit CHR on your HR or kcal. I do a lot of zumba and it has 20-30 beats/min lower than the Polar HRM, and as much as 300 kcal off (about half).

i have been waiting on the charge hr didnt know about up3 thanks for all the info I am still interested in hr but will be looking into source also since you mentioned it thanks for the info it is very helpful.

While I have certainly used HRMs for some time now, I have strayed away from purchasing fitness wearables because I did not believe that had hit their stride. However, after readying recently about both the upcoming UP3 and Fitbit Charge HR, they definitely got me excited. At the end of the day, I believe the UP3 will be a superior product for it's technology. And the fact it will allow for OTA (over-the-air) updates that can unlock new features, which they have already said will happen, is rewarding as an owner.

So the Up3 doesn't have a GPS right? Does anyone know if the tri-axis accelerometer is able to determine geographic location? Ultimately I want to know if I could use the device with a tracking app such as endomondo

There is no point in having GPS on a fitness tracker such as the Jawbone Up 3 since it pairs with your phone. If you really wanted the GPS feature, you could easily download an app that tracks your phone's location, and bring it with you on the run/workout, like many do.

Including a GPS receiver in either product would make them significantly larger and heavier, and reduce battery life dramatically. I expect the designers of these bracelets wanted people to wear them for days on end. Adding a GPS would ruin that goal.

I do take my smart phone running and use RunKeeper, but after 10 miles the phone battery life becomes an issue. For running, the best choice is likely to be a dedicated running watch like a Garmin coupled with a HRM.

I have my eye on the UP3, but wow, tough choice. I like the idea of real time HR display. I just wonder what it would do to battery life.

I'm leaning in the direction of Jawbone's UP3 currently; but Correa219 makes good points about the Fitbit Charge HR. Also agree with BillyD that swimming compatibility is a nice feature that the UP3 has over the Charge HR.

After reading the review I was leaning towards the UP3. I'm slightly confused. I have a Galaxy S5. Will there be an app available that is compatible when the UP3 is launched? If not, what is the wait time?

I have a Galaxy S5 Active and my UP3 works perfect. The play store has the UP app. A very simple set up as well. I had issues trying to set up my Fit bit Charge HR so I immediately returned it. So far, I love this tracker. I don't need a lot of bells and whistles, such as bpm...tracking heart rate, sleep, steps, etc is enough for me. Smart Coach is very motivating too! Hope this helps.

I have been debating whether to go with the UP3 or the Charge HR for a while. The Charge is close to everything I want, but it isn't truly water resistant. The idea that I have to take it off before a shower and swimming scares me. Also, the bioimpedance sensors should be more accurate compared to light sensors..especially on darker skin. Who needs GPS and clock readout when every person has a phone at their hip. UP3 feels like it is a clear winner.

I really like the outer display on the fitbit, If the Jawbone had that it would be no question who the winner of this battle would be. I like the advanced sleep tracking of the jawbone, but as i mentioned the display aspect of the fitbit...Guess I'll have to make a pros/cons list myself. One thing that is funny to me is the water-resistance. 1ATM is the same as 10m so they would both be water-resistant to 10m wonder why you can swim with the jawbone but not with the fitbit if they are resistant to the same depth... maybe because of the oled, thoughts?

I have the Up24 and hitting it before going to sleep isn't an issue, but in the rare occasions I forget, it still knows and monitors my light/deep sleep so I'd say it's juat as good as auto detect of sleep. It will say the next morning "it looks like you were sleeping" and ask if I want to log it, or I can go in manually and add it but it can backtrack and know my sleep patterns once I just plug in the hours I was in bed. Much better than first gen, when it couldn't do that and would just lo General sleep without light/deep after the fact.

I had problems with my first gen Up band (they replaced it 3 times) but not with my Up24. I cannot wait for the Up3!!!

Excuse the pedantry but 1ATM is the pressure at sea level. At 10m depth in water you would gain an extra 1ATM so would be under 2ATM pressure. I guess that's why the fitbit can't be used for swimming whereas the Jawbone with 5ATM resistance could go to 40m.

All facts and points made about both are great. Ironically though I have taken the HR out of the running and think you should look at the Jay Bird Reign. Why wasn't that part of the comparison test. You all should look at the Reign. I think it definitely is going to most of both worlds in mind. Just missing the display. But again, we all have our phones at our hips so not sure why we need the extra viewing screen.

I find it ironic and amusing that so many people like the sleep function of an activity tracker. Anyway, for someone like me, that is concerned with getting fitter, having realtime HR is more important than anything else. I need to know that what I am doing and as importantly, how I am doing it at that moment is the most important feature. I also agree that if it isn't waterproof, it isn't much good. That's how I see it but I could stand corrected.

Love the thoughtful review (although felt it left me dangling when it comes to conclusions) and the real life comments. My priority is finding and exercising at a level that pushes my body to continue to improve but avoids going into the "red" zone that leads to injury or other setbacks. Consistent improvement requires real time feedback. If the Up3 provided that feedback, which seems possible with the technology, it would be a great choice. Lacking that, Fitbit's still in the running (although apparently not the diving).

I am not a very patient person, so even though I was leaning in the direction of the UP3, when Fitbit sent me an invitation to order a ChargeHR early, I jumped on it. I have to say I've been very impressed with it in the three days I've had it. I don't have access to a chest strap HR monitor to test the accuracy, but I do know how to take my pulse, and it's been within 1 bpm every time I've tested it. I'm linked up with MyFitnessPal too and I appreciate getting (what I believe to be) a more accurate calculation of my calories burned. I think I'll wait for the UP3 to come out and get tested some more, and if Jawbone's promised updates make the UP3's HR monitoring more than just resting HR, then I'll probably be selling my Fitbit. I think on paper Jawbone has the superior product, but since I've already gotten my hands on a ChargeHR they're really going to need to prove it to me.

UP3 does not have a display, so the real time HR will be much less useful. Their website says it monitors Heart Health instead of Heart Rate, so it's almost certain that real time HR will not be available on UP3. I guess Jawbone just has a different insight on how the fitness tracker should monitor our heart, although I think the real time HR will be a very nice feature to have!

I'll probably go for UP3. I rarely do exercises outdoor so I don't care if they have the GPS feature or not. And the sleep quality is of great importance to me, and UP3 provides this most advanced sensor for monitoring.

After thinking about it some more, I really don't care that much about real time HR monitoring, what I care about is an accurate representation of how many calories I'm burning. At first I thought the best way to achieve that would be with 24/7 HR monitoring (and maybe it is). However, even without that the UP3 uses its bioimpedance sensors to measure galvanic skin response and respiration, which from my understanding will allow for a pretty accurate calorie burn estimation. In the mean time I'm really enjoying my ChargeHR, but I am eagerly awaiting some reviews of the UP3 and how capable its sensors are.

After reading the many comments above, I was trying to decide between the Up3, and Charger Hr. There are so many products out there. Had a Garmin Vivofit, but lost it. Anyway after reading the above I think I'm going to go with the Up3, even though it looks like a 5 to 7 week wait. I had bought the old UP, but did not like the way it fit. Both companies have had bad products that were recalled, so I hope these are better. Who knows by the time these are available there is probably going to be something better

The jawbone products are out for me. They only sync with newer phones, and there is no desktop app. I have an older android. The fitbit does sync with a desktop app, and I have found their customer service to be outstanding! I would love the option to swim with the wristband, but I can't buy a product that won't sync with my phone, laptop, or tablet.

I think for me it's going to come down to the fit. I read one review that suggested the Charge Hr has to be worn one inch above the wrist to give accurate measurements, but haven't seen it anywhere else, so I don't know how accurate it is.

It seems that the Charge HR will be available sooner, and at a slightly lower cost. I think my plan will be to go to the store and try on the Charge HR when it's available, and go from there if it's comfortable, and if the claim about it's position on the arm is false. I haven't had a fitness tracker before, and do a lot of weight training, so the heart rate monitor is a really exciting factor :)

I have tried the Jawbone 24 but was a little disappointed when I had three bands fail in just 6 months. I was impressed with the Jawbone's nutrition tracker but have yet to try the Fitbit software on iOS so I may even have to try them both. Just looking forward to the release & I am really surprised that neither of them released the bands before Christmas??

My wife and I have had 4 of 5 Jawbone 24 bands fail in 2014. It's just a matter of time before the 5th fails...

We are now using the fitbit charge. The iOS app is not even close to that of Jawbone. The graphs are harder to read/see. As for friends, I can only see a running 7 day average of my wife's steps - we used to watch each other's steps and sleep daily... I don't see the value of "cheering" or "taunting" a weekly average. And that's it - no other friend data is available on the app. I can see sleep, etc. on the website so it isn't a privacy issue.

This is a comparison of features in the main. For the short term people will have their own preferences on the features they want – everyone is different. We are awaiting our review samples and will post our verdict on which is better once we have rigorously tested both bands. Hopefully that will be in a couple of weeks.

Both the Fitbit Charge HR and Jawbone UP3 have the exact same water resistance rating of 1ATM or 10 meters. Yet Jawbone says you can swim with it and Fitbit says you can't. I don't understand that. Plus water resistance guidelines for watches say that 1ATM is only splash resistant but not good for swimming so I'd be reluctant to jump in the water with the Jawbone.

I agree. And I find it worrying that the official website specifically mentions this feature as a kind of advantage - "UP3 can swim and dive. Water resistant to 10m, it can go wherever you go". Is it a genuine claim or they are just playing with words? What kind of standards are they using? As you said according to the standard guidelines 10m = 1ATM is only suitable for accidental water exposure, splashes etc., it's not even suitable for showering.

I am in favor of the Charge HR and have been waiting for its launch. The time display is a big factor for me but 'just' water resistance of the fitbit is a big let down - not a deal breaker yet. I would love to see time displayed with basic call / text notifications on the jawbone - that will nail it at least for 2015 and mid-2016 in terms of trend.

2016 will see the coming of the smartwatch - until then i am okay with the fitbit Charge HR.

Jawbone products are built to fail. For proof check almost every Amazon review (for that matter the Jawbone forums) and see how many dead device reviews/posts there are. They will of course replace it within the year warranty no problem (and customer service is prompt and generally helpful too) but they are basically expecting you to re-purchase the same product (or the more expensive new one) on day 366. They will not offer you an upgrade RMA at all. If their new product happens to be of better quality and you have already done 3 RMAs on the old product, you will not have the opportunity to pay the difference for the actual working new product.

Mind you I loved my UP24 and found it to be feature rich and functional but would rather have it advertised as a 1-year or less lifespan if that is what it is.

With that said I have not experienced FitBit's customer service but expect it to be way better than Jawbone's whole corrupted business model. My next device will probably be the FitBit Surge if CES 2015 does not announce anything better.

Jawbone products are built to fail. For proof check almost every Amazon review (for that matter the Jawbone forums) and see how many dead device reviews/posts there are. They will of course replace it within the year warranty no problem (and customer service is prompt and generally helpful too) but they are basically expecting you to re-purchase the same product (or the more expensive new one) on day 366. They will not offer you an upgrade RMA at all. If their new product happens to be of better quality and you have already done 3 RMAs on the old product, you will not have the opportunity to pay the difference for the actual working new product.

Mind you I loved my UP24 and found it to be feature rich and functional but would rather have it advertised as a 1-year or less lifespan if that is what it is.

With that said I have not experienced FitBit's customer service but expect it to be way better than Jawbone's whole corrupted business model. My next device will probably be the FitBit Surge if CES 2015 does not announce anything better.

I was a die hard Jawbone Up fan...until my one year warranty ran out and I was stuck with an expensive paperweight. I went through FIVE bands and 4 months was the longest that any one band lasted. Jawbone kindly offered a 25% discount on a new band, but no thank you. I don't want to be forced to replace a $150 fitness band every year. My fitbit friends have had their original bands longer than my Jawbone experience with all five bands combined. I've just received my Fitbit Charge HR today and even though it's much bigger than my Up, it's still comfortable to wear. I love the display, it's awesome not having to pull out my phone to see my progress. The heat rate monitor is accurate and a very nice addition. So far, I'm extremely pleased.

It says the HR can record workouts, what I want to know is can the UP3 do the same? I run a lot, but I also workout in the gym a lot too. So if the UP 3 can record workouts and know how many calories I'm burning, then I'm sold on the UP 3.

By my opinion the software for Jawbone is WAY better than the software for fitbit. Had fitbit flex for half a year before I switched to Up24. Jawbone' s app offers more coaching, and I find the statics easier to understand and more motivating. It can be a bit 'difficult' to navigate in the app for Jawbone, but it defiantly contains more data.

Has there been any update as to when the U 3 will be available? I feel like I've been waiting forever! I've used the BodyMedia arm band for many years. I know Jawbone bought them and now the UP3 sounds like it offers the same sensors and more. I'll been wanting to get this thing off my upper arm but didn't feel any of the wrist bands were as accurate. If Up3 gives us what they promise, I will be thrilled! Now, where is it?

I love my UP24 - it's simple, I don't miss a display on my wrist, and the Android phone app is excellent. However, I am soon to be onto my 3rd unit in six months (if Jawbone replaces the 2nd unit). The first unit lasted a month until it stopped working after a shower (Jawbone claims that the UP24 is shower resistant). I had that unit replaced and stopped using it in the shower. It worked well for four months and then the button fell out. So I am starting to wonder about the quality of the Jawbone UP products and wonder if the UP3 is worth upgrading to if it will share the same quality issues.

I'm had been keen on upgrading to the UP3, but I have had two issues with my UP24 within six months. My first one last a month and stopped working after a shower (Jawbone advertises the UP24 to be shower resistant). I had the faulty unit replaced and stopped using it in the shower. It worked well for four months and then the button fell out. So that is two major faults in six months. I have sent in a support request and we'll see if they replace this again. I love the simplicity of the UP24 (I do just fine without a display on my wrist), and the Android phone app is excellent. However, given the issues I have had with the product's quality, I am now starting to wonder if I should risk spending money on the UP3 and rather consider another product.

I initially used fit bit flex... but went through 4 devices as they worked wonderfully for four months then stopped charging. I currently went for up24 to see if I can get more than 4 months of life. Hence, I started to go for up3, but may cancel order as fitbit actually has release date. i am going overseas come march and need devicr by then, but jawbone wont tell me anything and seems like Up3 release keeps getting pushed back,

my other frustration with fitbit is they dont have stopwatch function that can be used for activited other than running/hiking. i am kickboxing/cross training fan, but there is no way to track calories burned for these workouts with fitbit. i found bodymedia best, but up24 and beyond has general stopwatch function.

regarding sleep technology, a physician, I love concept of both devices. many individuals have sleep problems, particularly getting enough REM sleep. these alliw some tracking that is more feasible than sleeo study (not looking for sleep disorders but sleep quality.) tracking sleep on either device gives individuals ability to have better estimate of sleep quantity and quality yo better target treatment. if you have sleep problems and have one if these devices, the sleep log can be helpful to your provider! at one point there was a "take home sleep study" device in research, but dont think this would have been accepted by insurance companies and too expensive to get out of pocket.

the step count/calorie monitiring is beneficial fot monitoring... studied have shown people tend to eat less/move more when tracking food/activities. (see "mindless eating" by wainsik).

HR function is also wonderful. during workouts it can help give indicatiion of effort/intensuty. however, resting is also benecial as it serves as indication of health and I have used as inexpensibke "biofeedback" (see if medication/deep breathing can lower HR). small elevations is resting hr can be indicators of hydration/recovery/need for more rest.......for actual workout, i have found actual hr monitor with chest strap most accurate as wrist/touch more accurate tracking resting hr.

I'm definitely leaning more towards the UP3. I feel like seeing my heart rate while working out would just be distracting and stressful. Plus I like the idea of monitoring my sleep and it sounds like the UP3 is a better option for that as well. And I'll be able to wear it while swimming which is a major plus.

I used to have a fitbit that clipped on, but I lost it. I read about various watch styles and chose the Charge HR for a few reasons: I read about fitbit bands breaking and people losing them. I have lost one fitbit already, so I wanted the buckle. I also chose it for sleep tracking. I hadn't had a sleep tracker before. I am also not comfortable sleeping with my watch on. So the first night wearing the Charge HR... It woke me up by just being there on my wrist when I changed positions. Oh the irony! So, I haven't tried sleeping with it again. Maybe I could try putting a cotton wristband on top if it. I don't know.

I'm so torn. I prefer the Up3 for it's sleek design and (what seems to be) more advanced activity and sleep tracking. However, I am running a half marathon 13 weeks from now and would like something to help me track my activity. I'll use apps on my phone to track my pace, but I'd also like to monitor any changes in my heart rate and sleep patterns. Current preorder status on Jawbone's site says 10-11 weeks (and I actually prefer the silver color which has no release date as of yet).

I do like the FitBit's ability to monitor heart rate 24/7, so that definitely is a perk. Maybe I'll go ahead and buy it.

I am a FitBit user, however the hardware used by the Up 3 and it's stated water resistance is what is drawing me. A physical measure of heart rate is more accurate than light measure. But I also want to wait to see what the reviews are when the hardware is actually released. Jawbone has a history of a lot of talk and very little to show. FitBit has come out with their product ahead of Jawbone -- where Jawbone was trying to beat them to the punch. But until I can see a comparison of more than just stats I am undecided between either one.

Main difference between the UP3 and the Fitbit Charge HR??? One of them ACTUALLY exists...! I had been waiting and waiting for the UP3, I really liked it and I have been a loyal jawbone user since the original UP. I ordered my UP3 on November 11th and they even offered me the $40 discount because of the delay. It was a nice gesture but I am tired that every time that I called to ask for an estimate, they would casually bring the subject about the discount. I got the feeling that it was kind of like guilting me into just waiting patiently. I find it ridiculous that every time that I have requested a delivery estimate from CS, they only say early 2015. when pressed as to what that means (end of march...beginning of June, etc), they just repeat "early 2015."

In any case, thanks to Jawbone and their lack of clear communication with their customers, I decided to buy the Fitbit Charge HR. It is awesome! I still like the UP3 aesthetics better, but I realized that there is something that you will never have with UP3. The ability to track your HR during exercise. Sure, Jawbone claims that with a firmware update they will add the capability in the future, but short of pulling your phone out and looking at your HR there...there is no other way to know if you are over exerting yourself. With my brand new Fitbit Charge HR, I just tap the screen twice (you can customize the double tap with any other screen), and I can very quickly see what my heart rate is. I compared it to my Polar H7 and it is almost always "spot on"!!! Only time it wasn't was when lifting weights, but I can live with that. I am more interested to know my heart rate during cardio and my resting heart rate.

Having said all that...I still have not cancelled my order for UP3. Part of me still wants it, plus I am not too concerned about it anyways... as I am sure that I will have months and months to make up my mind about keeping it or not. I have seen posts that Best Buy sent an email to customers that had pre ordered UP3 telling them that it was delayed until December of 2015. I more recently so something similar from a different store, but this time it said August 2015.

I had a Fitbit Charge HR for about a month and finally returned it because it was so uncomfortable to wear all day. I wore it on the opposite arm of my watch and the band was not comfortable. I tried wearing it in different places even. Fitbit says to wear it up a couple inches (3 fingers) above the wrist for the most accurate readings and that was usually impractical especially in winter with long sleeve clothes. I am looking at the regular Charge as it has a different band and clasp and appears it may be more comfortable.

I started to look at the UP3 due to the sleep features but am worried by what you all say on the durability. I will look into that more. Thank you for the heads up.

As for HR when I exercise, I now use a Runtastic GPS Watch with Chest band. My main exercise is bycicling and this has a Heart Rate monitor with chest strap. I used to use a Nike+ but it got damaged in a bike crash and the screen scratches made it unusable. Nike doesn't repair them so a $149 watch turned into a throwaway. BOO NIKE! Anyway the point of that is for true Heart Rate monitoring while exercising a true heart rate monitor is most accurate and appropriate. In that case the Charge (non HR) or the UP will be contenders for daily activity.

I just bought a Fitbit charge HR fits well and seems to be working decent however I have a few issues with it. It has a stopwatch on it to activate you have to hold the button down for 3 seconds to turn it on. Then to turn it off you again have to hold the button down for 3 seconds and it'll stop there is no reset button for this so in order to get it to start over you have to hit the button for 3 seconds again but it does not automatically restart so if you wanted your stopwatch zeroed out you can't do it . From my understanding the sleep mode is supposed to start automatically however when I woke up this morning to check I noticed that it shows that I had 42 steps before even getting out of bed so I'm wondering how accurate the sleep tracker is. Also I have a feeling that the pedometer on the Fitbit charge HR may not only account for steps but also arm swing I'm assuming that based on the fact that the job that I have requires me to lift and move a lot of boxes and so while I'm standing still my arms are still moving I started the pedometer on my phone and kept it in my pocket all day as well as having the pedometer run on the Fitbit charge there is nearly a 6000 step difference between the Fitbit charge and the pedometer on my phone that difference is the Fitbit charge has 6000 more steps than the pedometer on my cell phone. I think the the Fitbit charger works well in most aspects however seeing the difference in 2 pedometers makes me skeptical as to how accurate the sensors are with the pedometers being so different as to their calculations it also makes me wonder how accurate the calorie calculator is.my only other complaint is that there is supposed to be an update for the Fitbit charge that I just got I've tried to update it several times and it will not update as well there have been several times I've tried to sync the Fitbit charged with my phone via the Fitbit app the two devices are within six inches of each other and several times the Fitbit and my phone have failed to sync. Overall I reiterate I feel it is a decent product however the sensors for the pedometer I think should be looked at and because of the sensors on the pedometer as well as the issue with the stopwatch I feel there should be a reset button integrated into the Fitbit HR that way when you start a workout or start exercising at any point you can reset it to 0 so that you can keep accurate track of your steps.

I have been using a Jawbone UP for several months. The UP tracks sleep patterns very well. I like how I can read the info and follow my progress. I was given a FITBIT and started wearing it this week. It didn't take me long to become comfortable with tracking my success with their app. So between the two companies, it's a toss up. Your discussion about how the new ones monitor sleep, and also heart rate lead to want to go with UP. So it looks like more investigation will be needed on my part. :-)

Received a Charge as a gift of encouragement. Band was too small so I contacted Customer Support about getting an XL. Believe it or not they sent me to the retailer. Not sure why as XL's are only available through the Fitbit web site. Fitbit customer support should know that!! After repeated emails of being put off by Fitbit, I made the mistake of wearing the Charge with only part of the clasp in place. Within 60 days I lost it when it came off my wrist without me knowing. Contacted Customer support and obtained the same information that is posted on the Fitbit web site. Not sure why Fitbit has a customer support group. Now I try to buy a Charge HR with a XL band and they are not available for another 2 months even though the the HR is available now in smaller sizes. Hey Fitbit - if you guys are truly interested in helping people get fit why are you making products only for the "smaller" people who are already somewhat fit????

I bought the Fitbit hr when had a limited release december19th I loved it,. But I've gone through 2. The first the Bluetooth stopped working the second it's just turned off never came back on...I emailed the company again.. I think I'd rather try the jawbone..the online display must be to many bugs

I'm torn. I like having a screen on the Fitbit Charge HR, but the screen actually concerns me too. I am a Marathon runner and I intend to keep this on my wrist all the time including my training and running (in addition to my Garmin for time and pace etc) but because of the screen I worry about it deteriorating faster than the jawbone that has no exposed screens and seems sturdier.

Also, some of the sleep functions I've heard about the jawbone sound very intriguing and would love to improve my sleep.

The jawbone has been the worst electronic/fitness purchase I have ever made. The jawbone products have a high rate for failure. I have already knowledge of 3 faulty ones just within my immediate family. The aftersales services is by far the worst I have ever encountered from a company. They never answer emails and if they do they always claim to be out of stock so they can screw you over for an unwanted upgrade. I would strongly urge anybody to NOT even consider jawbone products...... Read their forums and you'll see that I am not alone with my experiences, I would say that 99% of customers on their forums are completely dissatisfied with the jawbone products and company itself. Do not buy jawbone products.

It is extremely uncomfortable. The shape of it does not fit the shape of my arm. It is clearly meant for someone much larger. Also, the clasp is very sharp and cuts my skin on accident. I have two large cuts on my breast where I cut myself with the clasp while turning over in my sleep.

Also, it's pathetic that I have to put this into 'sleep mode,' especially when everyday activities with any kind of vibration will accidentally trigger it into sleep mode!

One of the worst things about this though is that you have to manually log exercise activities, and guess how hard you worked. What is the point of having sensors if you still need to guesstimate your effort? Also, the calorie burn it tells me every day is hundreds of calories off from my Bodymedia armband. Completely useless.

This is an embarrassing product. I sincerely wish Jawbone would have released the Core 2 instead of this piece of useless trash. The ONLY thing I like about it is the sleep alarm.

And what is up with the Up app? Who really cares how many steps they've taken in a day? I'm interested in calories in/calories out. I shouldn't need to click that many times to reach such basic information. And why is there no widget? Seriously, Jawbone?

you don't have to put it into sleep mode for it to track your sleep. If you put it in manually the band will still get the data, maybe the resting heart rate isn't as accurate but that will populate as well. For activities you need to give it time for to alert you, it will. Usually you need to be active for more than 15 minutes or so for the jawbone app to alert you that you are doing an activity. I love the up3 and like others have stated the up24 always broke but the customer service was amazing and so far no issues with the up3 1 month in. I just don't shower with the bands anymore just because of past experience with supposed "water resisitant" products!

Though I hate to admit it I HATE this device. I LOVED my Up24. Sleep statistics were accurate, the smart sleep alarm was THE best feature. The Up3 is a piece of crap.

1) HR monitoring. Really? It only records your HR intermittently while sleeping and then automagically comes up with a RHR number. The RHR is at best 20 bpm faster then what it truly is (confirmed with a HR strap). One night it had my HR going along at 168 bpm for half the night!

2) Sleep monitoring. Awful. In one week using the Up3 I'm almost never in REM sleep. While I might be willing to believe this all the other statistics are off. I get up to go to the bathroom 1-4x per night. While the Up24 would capture this, the Up3 has me sleeping soundly when I'm actually WALKING???

3) Battery life. It's died on my twice suddenly. I'm not sure if it's a battery issue or if the device just crashes, but either way, I've lost use of the device and the only thing that brings it back to life is putting it on the charger

4) User interface. The double tap feature is buggy at best. No lie, there've been times that I've had to tap the band 20 or more times to get the device to respond. I'd say the double tap works about 50% of the time.

5) The clasp. I've definitely gotten better at locking the latch, but it seems unnecessarily difficult. If you can take a bra off with one hand, then you'll be okay, except for the clasp position gets looser throughout the day. I find I have to tighten it at least once if not twice a day.

My conclusion. This device is in an early beta phase....at best. I'll be returning it and jumping over to the Fitbit camp. I'm not in the mood to be a beta tester. It's really a shame because the potential of the device is amazing.

Minus the HR feature, I had a similarly bad experience with the UP2! In the week I had the UP2 the sleep feature NEVER worked. I'd manually turn it on and the next morning it had automatically changed itself back to active mode. The most sleep it ever captured was 8 minutes. The irony is that, as has been mentioned, it often takes 10+ taps to check the mode. Simply a bad product! I've had the Charge HR for two days. Other than possibly having fewer than stated days of battery life, it's been wonderful! The auto sleep feature worked well (so far). Hitting the gym in the morning and look forward to assessing the active (versus resting) HR monitoring. In this sense, continuous HR monitoring is much more helpful than what the UP3 offers.

6 months ago, I had debated on buying the Up24, or waiting for the UP3. I went for the UP24, and in 6 months, I've had 2 quit working. When I called the second time, they said they would replace it with an Up MOVE (no thanks) and a $50 credit to their online store. After insisting to speak to a supervisor, they agreed to replace it for a brand new UP24, but that I would have to wait 8 weeks due to a backorder. So, it looks like I'm about to jump into the FitBit camp. Charge, or Charge HR? That's the question.

I want to check out the FitBit. I own an UP24 and I would never buy another Jawbone product in my life. UP24 stopped working after 2 weeks, then took 3 months to get a replacement, and when they finally replaced it, they replaced it with a bright orange one that it is obviously a refurbished product. They are terrible and too expensive any way.

I liked the UP24 and its Android app, but its build quality sucked. The first one last two months before it stopped working after a shower. So I got a replacement and stopped using it in the shower. The next one lasted three months before the button broke off. Replaced that, and the same thing happened to the third one (and I was super careful about taking it on and off my wrist). Instead of replacing it with a fourth one, I exchanged it for a Fitbit Charge HR. Have been using it for four months and love it. So far so good. Battery life is not great, but I just top it up each morning while shaving/showering and don't have to worry about running out of juice.

I really like the fitbit charge hr but the lack of smart alarm is terrible. This is the function I like the most. I don't understand why they don't implement this. Up3 has smart alarm and with the new firmware update it finally automatic detects sleep and measures your resting heart during the day too. So I go for the Up3. I prefer smart alarm than display.

Both the Fitbit Charge HR and Jawbone UP3 are comfortable, look good and are loaded with state-of-the-art sensors that give you a better understanding of your health and fitness. Like all bands, they monitor steps that you take and your activity, and like some, they monitor the quality of your sleep.

While there are many positives, there are also a few negatives with both devices which we wont go into again.

Fitbit likes to think of the Charge for everyday users who want to get fitter and see how they are doing in real time on the wristband and also via the excellent free app and graphics-heavy desktop dashboard. The wearable definitely serves this purpose.

While the UP3 may not be the perfect choice for those looking for a sports watch, or those looking for detailed 24/7 heart rate monitoring - for those who want a simple, unobtrusive device to track exercise and sleep, and improve overall health and well-being, the Jawbone UP3 is definitely an option worth considering.

On balance, my preference would be to put Fitbit slightly ahead. While Jawbone has advantages in terms of the information it provides with its detailed sleep analysis and Smart Coach features, both of these are still work in progress. The 24/7 heart rate tracking, inclusion of a display and slightly lower price are what ultimately edge Fitbit Charge HR slightly ahead for me.

The UP3 is such a bad tracker...and I tried a lot. (Polar Loop, Smartband2, Vivosmart, Mi Band). The steps it counts are ok but the distances.... I did some running round about 6 kilometers and it counts 11 km....the cheapest one, the Mi Band was the best: 6,2 kilometers!!

But now the worst thing ever: I was so angry about this sh... UP3 band that I put it on the desk...nevertheless it tracks heart rate!! At 23 it tracks that I went to bed...my heart rate gets less....still laying on the desk...For me the UP3 is a deception...

I tried the Charge HR and had to return it after it left a big red band on my skin after wearing it for five days. The rash finally went away after four days of non-wear. Really nice product, but uncomfortable and can't wear it. I'll definitely give the Up3 a try -- I tried the Up24 and really liked it but needed heart rate tracking, so I wound up returning it hoping the Up3 would do the trick. With the firmware and improved closure I'm hoping it does, as the Charge HR is a no-go. I like the fact the Charge HR was able to do CallerID, although it didn't work very well, I figure that a band is designed to help me realize and extend my physical activity, not make me too lazy to grab my phone and see who's calling.

I have been using the UP3 for several months and I like it for the Smart coach--which gets to be really interesting with the averages and insights it provides if one wears it daily, and especially for the sleep tracking. I wear it on my dominant wrist because, for whatever reason, I get a bad rash only on my dominant wrist. The UP3 is TERRIBLE when it comes to staying on my wrist!!!! I've nearly lost it COUNTLESS times already. I recently purchased the charge HR because I wanted something with a clock on it and a more secure wristband. I have been wearing both, the Charge HR on my non dominant wrist. The difference in steps was OVER 1500. The charge was significantly higher than the UP3. This is the biggest issue I take with the Charge. I'll probably end up going with the charge, however, because of the wristband and clock, but I'll definitely miss UP3's smart coach.

Hi, Can anyone speak to the durability of the Jawbone? I can on the fitbit Charge. My wife has had it less than 5 months and the plastic band that holds the charging plug broke off. This plastic band also holds in the button you use to check your stats. She had a Fibit Flex before but that stopped charging after 5 months too can't get the connections to connect even after cleaning the contacts. My daughter bought the charge for her Mom before I could stop her.

It doesn't matter how good it can track or how well the apps work or what features you get. Because if it falls apart and you can't charge it, your left with a 300 dollar piece of plastic.

Unfortunately most reviews do not speak to the durability of the product and I am trying to find one that has lasted more than a year.

Don't look for one, they are quite similar in terms of quality. See Amazon, for every brand there's at least 10% buyers who got a "lemon", it's like gambling, and cannot be otherwise due to the nature of things. Everything is made for pennies in Chins, or around it. Building long lasting gadgets is against the best interests of investment-driven consumer electronics industry. This is especially true for hot HiTech wearables sector, where technology becomes obsolete in months. Sell fast, upgrade, move on. Play hard, die young. Gadget is not a long term investment, it's a disposable. In two years it will be a dinosaur. We live in a post-post-industrial economy. Quality it's not a part of success equation anymore.

So, get yourself a protection plan for extra 10-20% of sale price, you'll be able to exchange your toy for free incl shipping within 2 years in any case, and go with what you love

Clarification: I own Jawbone UP3. Love it. The battery deteriorated after a month of us, now only lasts 1 day. Going to call product support and request replacement. If this fails, will go to the shop and use my replacement plan, waste $15 to save $150. There only one better way to play this game is not to play it.

i have just bought a jawbone UP3 and used it for 5 days. I thought the sleep data seemed a little 'off'. It seemed to get confused between lying there awake, and light sleep so overall it overstated my sleep. BUT then i was stunned... I plugged it in to the charger for a few hours. Came back and synced & it thought I was asleep for the time it was in the charger. It said I slept for 3hr 50m of which 58m was deep, 1hr 47m was REM & 1hr 5m was light. What??? To make me question the accuracy again, it showed a graph of my heart rate during this time??!! It was in the charger. Is the jawbone a total crock?

Been a Fitbit One user for 3-4 year now. On my second one and fourth clip. I bought a Charge HR for the RHR monitoring etc.. Have liked the product and been impressed with the design until it literally fell apart this week. The plastic separated on the sides and then the plate around the charger fell off and the button to control it fell out. Searched online and found this has happended to many. Seems Quality Control is severely lacking at Fitbit or they are hoping that people will replace their $150 product once a year and drive more profit. Going to try something else. I am an ACE Certified Personal Trainer and Health Coach and I need something reliable that isn't going to fail in such a short time.

I bought the Up3 a couple weeks ago and have been pretty disappointed with the heart rate monitoring. I've been on several runs with the machine taking my HR between 150-170, the band didn't register any of my gym session and had my HR in the 50s. As far as sleep monitoring and step tracking goes it works a charm but if you want something to track you in the gym then this isn't it.

I'm actually wearing both right now. My Jawbone24 disassembled itself (AGAIN!) at the airport on my way to Cuba. Brookstone had the Fitbit Charge and I've been so frustrated at being a paying Beta-test user of Jawbone's low-durability hardware, I decided to switch. When I got home, I pulled the Jawbone3 I got for Christmas out of the package.I'm noticing a significant difference in step counts -- 500-1,000 fewer per day on the Jawbone. On the flip side, not needing to set Sleep mode for the Jawbone is a great improvement. Still figuring out which one I will continue using. Curious about how others are experiencing the products.

I bought the UP 3 about 3 months ago, and I have had NO problems. I personally don't care about GYM tracking heart rate..I can see that on the machine, I do care about calorie burn however and so far when I input what I did under workout and how long it is SUPER close to what the actual machine said I burned, so that works for me :) As far as someone saying it didn't track the workout, I noticed that SOMETIMES there is a delay in syncing, you can see where it says under the heart rate the last time it synced. Sometimes it works right away, it usually says "Hey we see you were really moving tell us what you were doing" Usually I just go directly to workout and it ALREADY has the time I started the workout..so even though it doesn't PROMPT me to input, it did actually record the time I started (you can also imput that when you actually start your workout. So then I just put the length of time I worked out and what I did. :) Anyway quite frankly I am IN LOVE with my UP, the food scoring has REALLY helped me to make better choices...a perfect example was I had oatmeal and I was all proud...the score was like 4.5 or something (I was like huh?) so next time I had oatmeal and a hard boiled egg and it gave me 9.5 :P ..so I have slowly made changes on that...and the coach is constantly pushing me to get in a reg sleep time which has also helped a lot. And obviously the step tracker has pushed me to take stairs or park my car just a little bit further. All in all I am very happy...I DO not wear it in the shower however despite what it says..I also do not use the food tracker, I use a partner app.

How's the band of the Up3? I consider to buy the Up2 or the Up3, but the bad reviews of the fiddly locking mechanism of the Up trackers keeps me from buying it. Is it really that bad? Same question for the heart rate contacts. Do they poke into your wrist as said?

good function but sad quality on the band. Cracked already after 6 weeks, and even more sad is that Jawbone says it's a common problem but we don't cover it... So last time I ever purchase anything from this company!!

I bought a Jawbone Up initially. I found the steps to be 1000-2000 lower than the pedometer I had been using. The more steps I took in a day the greater the gap. But I figured you get what you pay for and upgraded in Jan to an Up2. I did have some problems with the band coming undone initially but I ordered and received free of charge a little plastic tab that fits easily into the closure and I never again had a problem with the band coming undone.

I also found the Up2 to be more accurate in terms of steps. It was usually within 200 steps of my pedometer.

The sleep tracking was excellent. I had none of the problems listed above except that even after the upgrade in software, the automatic sleep sometimes didn't come on so I learned to doublecheck it.

I love the app and the style of the bands. I don't want a display. I have nice watches to wear and a phone to carry.

But I did end up returning it as I had connectivity problems. It charged fine but often disconnected from my phone or iPad and it would take me 10 or more tries to get them to pair and reconnect.

Now I'm stuck. The up3 has come down in price and I don't care about the American Express thing on the Up4. But I don't want to make another expensive purchase just to be disappointed and have to return it again.

Jawhone UP3 is the worst tracking device you get ever get your hands into. I bought it for only 2 weeks and it already fails to connect and sync with my mobile app. The customer service is NOT helpful at all and all responses are just standard templates and never look into what challenges the customer is actually facing. For a device with that price tag I expect a lot more than something disposable. It is not reliable and breaks easily (design flaw on the clip on- it losses itself easily). I seriously have no words for it.

Whilst it looked good and had a functional app, the Jawbone failed to stay on my wrist. Only 3 weeks after buying it, it is now lost. When and where it fell off is anyone's guess. Not good enough for how much it cost.

This was not the first time though, it also fell off in my car one day and when I found it in there the next morning, I was surprised to see that Jawbone had recorded me as having had 18 hours of sleep. Wondering how it figures that out when it wasn't even on my wrist. It really made me doubt the accuracy of the sleep reading. I sent feedback to Jawbone support and all I got was a generic email inviting me to send the device back!! Not at all personalised or addressing my concerns, I replied and received no response.

BEWARE - Yes, it looked good and appeared to function, however the Jawbone failed to stay on my wrist. After only 4 weeks from when I bought it, it fell off. According to the 'Find my Band' it was at home, however it last synced with my phone at 8.54am (when I was at work) several miles away from my home. It also said I'd done 1,026 steps!! Where and when it fell off is anyone's guess. It certainly isn't in my home! I've spent 'several' hours and days searching. This is totally unacceptable for the price I paid - £89.99! This wasn't the first time either. It had fallen off a couple of times before and I felt the clasp was unsafe. I contacted the Jawbone support and got an e-mail from Robert asking me to send in my receipt as ' they would be happy to explore any out of warranty options that may be available'. I have done this but haven't received any response - so far!

I love my Up3 band. Back in June or July, it had stopped working (not syncing or charging) so I called Jawbone (after searching for a contact number) and when it was determined my band was in fact not working (lots of trouble shooting) I was sent a new one. Ironically, it started working the next day. I was supposed to send that one back, but wasn't provided a return envelope, so it has been sitting in the shipping envelope forgotten. Last month, the replacement band started doing the same thing and then the band just broke. I tried contacting Jawbone several times and even called numbers found on the BBB site. There are NO working contact numbers. My email received an automated reply, but nothing more. I got the original band and plugged it in. It worked, so I still have one and I still love it. However, the inability to reach customer service turned us off and I was given a FItBit Flex 2 for my birthday yesterday. I'm conflicted because I love my Up band, especially the sleep tracker, but I can't turn down a gift. I would happily continue to use the Up band if customer service was not an issue.

I have never had a problem with it reading my HR. It does that perfectly. It is annoying that it tries to auto record exercise. I go for a drive and it records that I am cycling.

I have a very odd sleep pattern so I bought it to see if I was getting enough sleep. Since I sleep randomly it was extremely inaccurate. I sometimes am awake during the night and asleep in the day. It seems to want me to sleep like a normal person and incorrectly says I am sleeping when I am awake at night. If I am asleep during the day it says I am awake half the time. It is very very inaccurate at recording an abnormal sleep pattern.

I stopped wearing my ChargeHR. I wore it all the time but after 6 weeks, the supposedly high quality plastic started to bubble and come away from the hard plastic underneath. It is a genuine ChargeHR and I did wear it all the time but I kept it under my sleeve.